Macau’s casinos that have been battling sinking gaming revenues will be seeing new restrictions on its off duty employees starting today. According to an amendment that was approved earlier in the year in October, off-duty casino employees are not allowed to access casino gaming floor.

This means that effectively casino employees in Macau will not b able to place wagers at casinos in the city starting today.

With the new regulation in place, the city’s gambling regulator is aiming at tackling gambling addiction and believes that restricting the access of off-duty casino employees to casino floors will keep them from developing compulsive gambling habits.

According to Macau Daily Times, the restriction will be applicable on only those employees at licensed gambling facilities who “work or are responsible for duties at gaming tables, gaming machines, cashiers, public relations, catering, cleaning, security, and surveillance staff in casinos.”

It will also be applicable on workers who work with junket operators at casinos. The workers will be restricted at al times when they are not at work. The ban will also restrict their entry at all casinos in the city and not only the casinos that are operated by its employees.

The new law also provides for a fine for employees trying to access casinos. Those found to be guilty of violating the laws will have to face a penalty of up to 10,000 patacas.

The issues related to breach of the new regulation will be monitored by the city’s gambling regulator Gaming Inspection, and Coordination Bureau (DICJ). If a casino employee have specific reason apart from gambling to visit a gambling facility, the case would be supervised by the state’s gambling regulator.